Political prisoner Omid Kokabi, 32, is suffering from kidney illnesses and has seen his pains have become seriously unbearable in the past few days. Prison authorities are refusing his request to be transferred to a hospital while the prison clinic lacks the necessary means to provide for his pains. Furthermore, according to an informed source any English language books are banned to be given to this prisoner, and he is also banned from reading any books and articles related to his field of studies.
Kokabi was a student in physics and specialized in lasers in the University of Texas – Austin when he was arrested at an airport back in February 2011 while trying to exit Iran. After a few weeks of interrogation he was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of having relations with an enemy country and obtaining unjustified wealth. Just recently 18 Nobel physics laureates sent an open letter to Khamenei demanding Kokabi’s release.
Kokabi has also received the “Freedom and Scientific Responsibility” award from the international NGO “Advanced Science”.